-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sinkholes , like the kind that swallowed part of a resort near Disney World in central Florida this week , are more common than you might think .

In the late Sunday night incident , all the guests inside the buildings at the Summer Bay Resort made it out OK before the ground opened up , leaving a 60-foot-wide ,15 - foot-deep crater .

But sometimes the results have been deadly .

In February , a Florida man fell into a sinkhole that opened suddenly beneath the bedroom of his suburban Tampa home . He did n't survive .

Here is a look at what causes sinkholes , where they occur and just how dangerous and costly they can be :

What causes sinkholes ?

Many sinkholes form when acidic rainwater dissolves limestone or similar rock beneath the soil , leaving a large void that collapses when it 's no longer able to support the weight of what 's above , whether that be an open field , a road or a house . These are called `` cover-collapse sinkholes , '' and it would appear this is what 's happening in Florida , where the ground beneath the home suddenly gave way .

Where do they happen ?

Sinkholes are particularly common in Florida , which rests on a nearly unbroken bed of limestone , according to the Florida Sinkhole Research Institute .

Central Florida is particularly known for sinkholes . It 's part of Florida 's so-called Sinkhole Alley , where two-thirds of insurance claims for sinkhole damage occur , according to a report prepared for state lawmakers in 2010 . Other places that frequently see sinkholes include Texas , Alabama , Missouri , Kentucky , Tennessee and Pennsylvania , the U.S. Geological Survey says .

Do all sinkholes collapse so dramatically ?

No , some merely cause the ground above to sag , or result in small ponds or saltwater marshes , the Florida Department of Environmental Protection says .

How often do they happen ?

There do not appear to be any solid numbers , but the Florida Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance reported that insurers had received 24,671 claims for sinkhole damage in that state alone between 2006 and 2010 . That 's an average of nearly 17 claims a day , just in Florida .

How dangerous and costly are sinkholes ?

Deaths and injuries from sinkholes are rare , but certainly not unheard of . For instance , in 2012 , a 15-year-old girl died when her family 's car fell into a Utah sinkhole , according to media accounts . But the holes are enormously costly . Insurance claims submitted in Florida alone between 2006 and 2010 totaled $ 1.4 billion , according the Florida Senate report .

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Central Florida is particularly known for sinkholes

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The state lies on limestone bedrock and often sees the phenomenon

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Florida property owners filed 24,671 claims for sinkhole damage from 2006 to 2010

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Florida sinkhole claims cost insurers $ 1.4 billion in that period , state Senate report says